


The Guardian

by paynesgrey



Category: Heroes - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Introspection, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-29
Updated: 2012-01-29
Packaged: 2017-10-30 06:50:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/328958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paynesgrey/pseuds/paynesgrey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the incident with Brody, Mr. Bennet watches over his daughter protectively.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Guardian

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the "#5 - Fear of People" prompt for 13_fears on Livejournal. Season 1 canon.

From the deep shadows he watched her. He would let no harm come to her, and he would let no evils try to overtake her.

He'd been given her as an infant and told to raise her as his own. At first, she was just an assignment, but the moment he took her in his arms, Noah Bennet felt fear for the first time. He didn't fear _people_. He dealt with people accordingly, in the ways that he had been trained. The Company relied on him to perform many specialized tasks, even if this little baby girl shook him to the core.

Kaito Nakamura had been right. He and Sandra _had_ wanted kids, and he knew that Sandra would accept her with open arms after all the times they couldn't conceive.

Yet, Bennet was skeptical. If he raised her and the Company came for back to retrieve her, how would he feel then? He tried to be cold and distant, but as she grew up – as he watched her, he knew it was impossible to let her go.

No danger would come to her. She needn't be afraid of the dark, of anything at all, as long as he was her father. With this partner by his side, his little Claire-bear would be safe from anything. 

But she could not be safe from her own abilities that would manifest, that were a natural to her as her blonde hair.

Consequently, the Company would come for her, and Noah Bennet could only deceive them for so long.

Noah smoothed down his suit jacket and left his partner within Brody's hospital room. He heard slight whimpers coming from the room and then nothing, an eerie silence filled the room as the order was fulfilled and Brody's memories were completely hollowed out. 

On his way back to his daughter's room, he found her sleeping, with a shivering scowl marring her pretty face. She was having a nightmare, and if he could enter her dreams and fight all of those demons as well, he would.

The doctors wanted to keep Claire for observation for one more night, and as his partner was called back to the Company, Noah stayed with Claire, enjoying a light supper and bad prime time TV with her before visiting hours were over and she was ready to go to bed. 

Noah stayed, watching her. He didn't know why he was so protective of her that night. Brody was no longer a threat, and his partner had relayed to him that the Company suspected nothing in Claire healing from the accident. However, Noah knew that she had, perhaps even healed from any assault from Brody, which must have scared him off in the first place.

Yes, Claire's powers were already manifesting, and though she kept it from him, in time all would revealed, she would know that he already knew – though, he hoped to bury the truth as much as he could for now, out of the Company's watchful eyes.

The lights in the hospital dimmed during the evening hours, and Bennet remained, returning to Claire's room after he'd said goodbye before she went to sleep. He stayed at the edge of her bed, resting a protective hand on her calf. His night vision kicked in, and the crack in his glass lens seemed less prominent. He really should get that fixed, he thought.

He stayed long enough before he felt it was time to go home. Reluctantly, he pulled himself away from Claire's peaceful sleeping form. He'd return in the morning to pick her up and check out of the hospital.

Until then, he would remain watchful and cautious. The incident with Brody was over, but Noah knew that the Company was biding their time too. They presumed with certainty that Claire's powers would manifest. Noah vowed to hide from them as much as he could.

After all, the Company gave him Claire Bennet. He protected her because she belonged to him, and there was no way he'd be giving her up now.


End file.
